Ron Dennis today spoke of the "smiles" his withdrawal from all formula one activities will elicit from the sport's twin autocrats, Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley. But the sense of relief at the former McLaren team principal's retirement will also be felt closer to home.

More than a decade ago, Anthony Hamilton recognised that Dennis's careful nurturing of his son, Lewis, could transform him from a promising kart driver into a multi-millionaire tax exile and formula one world champion. It duly did, in record time, but with that success has come self-determination. Now the question is whether the presence of Dennis – who is by his own admission "aggressive and a fighter and that has not always sat well" – had become an unhealthy influence on Hamilton's career.

Certainly the "liargate" affair that was a mess of McLaren's making has sullied the world champion's reputation. At an inquest into an illegal overtaking man­oeuvre by Jarno Trulli during the Australian grand prix, Hamilton deceived stewards on the orders of the sporting director, Dave Ryan, who was later dismissed.

Hamilton, amid a tumult of headlines accusing him of being a cheat and a liar, has since apologised. But the world motor­sport council hearing into his and his team's misdemeanours, taking place in Paris on 29 April, will seek to determine if there was complicity in the lies from other team executives – most specifically Dennis and the team principal, Martin Whitmarsh.

Dennis is clear that he "most certainly was not in charge of the team" in Australia, and blames Hamilton for the untruths. "Whether you are Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button or Michael Schumacher, if you're world champion you'll have a spotlight on you," said Dennis.

"When there are errors of judgment they will reflect negatively and that's understandable. It has become very, very difficult [for Hamilton] always to live up to the perfection he presents to the world. Everyone in this world makes mistakes, but very few people have the courage and the conviction and the honesty to own up to them and that's what he did."

If Dennis had not already denied that "Brand Hamilton" was overtaking McLaren as adroitly as the driver himself would slip past opponents in his championship-winning season, that might have been portrayed as a catty parting shot. But it is clear that although Dennis will no longer be involved in executive decisions, his mark remains on the psychology of the team, for which Hamilton, for all his skill and usefulness, will still be considered as only a paid employee.

Dennis will spend his retirement from racing developing the P11 road car as executive chairman of McLaren Automotive, a business he predicts will eventually create 800 jobs. But there can be little doubt that after 40 years in formula one the timing of his complete withdrawal from the fray was aimed at placating Mosley, the president of the governing body, the FIA.

"I've not spoken to Max or Bernie [Ecclestone is formula one's commercial rights holder]," he said. "Bernie is a friend and I've known Max many years. We are portrayed as being in constant conflict, but that is not the case. I'll phone Bernie because he's a friend and tell him the thought process behind the decision."

Dennis did give some insight into that for public consumption. "I went to Australia as a spectator and spent very little time at the circuit after the race," he said. "I came back on the plane and thought how arduous it was as a spectator. I had already planned not to go to Malaysia.

"I watched that on the TV and couldn't believe how easy it was. I expected to be more emotional. When you consider how many grands prix I've attended, I expected withdrawal symptoms. I had nothing and realised I wanted a change."

That numbness might come as a surprise to anyone who has observed Dennis's 40-year devotion to the sport, but after his innumerable confrontations with authority, perhaps even this fighter had become a little punch drunk.